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WORLD NEWS Monday 30 May 2022

Israeli nationalists chant racist slogans in Jerusalem march

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thou- sions. Israeli police have
sands of Israeli nationalists, repeatedly confronted
some of them chanting stone-throwing Palestinian
“Death to Arabs,” paraded demonstrators in the dis-
through the heart of the puted compound in recent
main Palestinian thorough- months, often firing rubber
fare in Jerusalem’s Old City bullets and stun grenades.
on Sunday, in a show of At the same time, some 19
force that risked setting off Israelis have been killed by
a new wave of violence in Palestinian attackers in Isra-
the tense city. el and the occupied West
The crowds, who were Bank in recent weeks, while
overwhelmingly young Or- over 35 Palestinians have
thodox Jewish men, were been killed in Israeli military
celebrating Jerusalem Day operations in the occupied
-- an Israeli holiday that West Bank. Some were
marks the capture of the armed, while others were
Old City in the 1967 Mid- shot while allegedly throw-
east war. Palestinians see ing stones or firebombs at
the event, which passes troops. But several appear
through the heart of the appear to have been unin-
Muslim Quarter, as a provo- Israelis wave national flags in front of Damascus Gate outside Jerusalem's Old City to mark Jeru- volved in any violence, in-
cation. Last year, the pa- salem Day, an Israeli holiday celebrating the capture of the Old City during the 1967 Mideast war. cluding Shireen Abu Akleh,
rade helped trigger an Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) a well-known correspon-
11-day war with Gaza mili- dent for the Al Jazeera sat-
tants, and this year’s march into the Old City. ists — a step that few Israeli rockets toward Jerusalem ellite channel.
drew condemnations from Police cleared Palestinians governments have taken as the procession was get- Jerusalem police were
the Palestinians and neigh- out of the area, which is in the past. Foreign Minister ting underway. That set off criticized internationally for
boring Jordan. normally a bustling Pales- Yair Lapid called the racist 11 days of heavy fighting. beating mourners at Abu
Israel said it deployed thou- tinian thoroughfare. At one groups “a disgrace.” Sunday’s march came at Akleh’s funeral two weeks
sands of police and securi- point, a drone flying a Pal- Thousands of people nor- a time of heightened ten- ago.q
ty forces for the event, and estinian flag flew overhead mally take part in the
violent scuffles between before police intercepted march through the Muslim
Jewish and Palestinian it. Quarter, including some
groups erupted inside the Ahead of the march, Prime who shout out nationalistic
Old City before the parade Minister Naftali Bennett said or racist slogans toward the
began. that “flying the flag of Isra- Palestinians, before making
As the march got under- el in the capital of Israel is their way to the Western
way, groups of Orthodox an obvious thing,” but also Wall in the Jewish Quarter
Jewish youths gathered urged participants to cele- on the other side of the Old
outside Damascus Gate, brate in a “responsible and City.
waving flags, singing re- respectful manner.” Last year, after weeks of
ligious and nationalistic Bennett later issued a state- Israeli-Palestinian unrest
songs, and shouting “the ment instructing police to in Jerusalem, authorities
Jewish nation lives” be- show “no tolerance” to- changed the route of the
fore entering the Muslim ward the racist groups. He march at the last minute
Quarter. One large group described them as a “mi- to avoid the Muslim Quar-
chanted “Death to Arabs,” nority that came to set the ter. But it was too late by
and “Let your village burn area on fire” and vowed to then, and Hamas militants
down” before descending prosecute violent extrem- in Gaza fired a barrage of

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